The Lady Killer Vol 1 designers put it just right- this twist on the jewelry box “pokes a sturdy robotic finger in the face of convention.” Inspired by Atelier Ted Noten’s 2004 “Unstaged” installation of a robot protecting a ring, this take-anywhere robotic concept is forever prepared to protect its Lady Killer ring (or at least until its owner decides to press the button) . When the time is right the arm will rise slowly, turn towards the lucky lady, and extend toward her offering the ring. I do… duh!

It’s no surprise that designer Jason Falconer took 1st Place at this years PAL Robotics’ REEM-C design challenge. Being the editor of robot-blog PlasticPals, the designer naturally developed inspiration from various designs over time. Understanding the dos and don’ts of humanoid robot design, Falconer payed close attention to the approachability of the robot by smoothing out the face, emphasizing the eye area, and designing the overall proportions of the figure to be as similar to the human silhouette as possible.

Why is it that I would trust giving my money to a cute robot before a human? Take a look at DON-8r (pronounced donator) & you’ll see what I mean. This coin-powered fundraising robot is a friendly little guy who only needs a passer-by to chip in so he can keep moving. DON-8r is already at work in Scotland, raising money and awareness by encouraging playful and empathetic support by engaging strangers in a fun and memorable way. Designed to be rebranded to suit different charities, I can definitely see this catching on… and I’m all for it. (Does not include defense lasers or anti-theft forcefield.)

Before you call PETA, just hear me out. The dogs and pups involved are robotic and no animals were harmed in the making of this concept! Puppy Robotic is a vacuum cleaner consisting of a mommy dog and her litter. The mom acts as the base unit and the four pups are her cleanup crew. True to canine nature, the puppies run amok in a cleaning frenzy and at times chase remote controls or play some music.

This machine has an AMAZING NAME. It is designed by Chris Rogers and it goes by the name “Mega Hurtz Tactical Robot.” It can turn on a dime, you control it by remote and can use it in tangent with a virtual reality headset, and yes, it can tow a Hummer. This machine can smash through a concrete wall, fire 20 pepperballs per second with its installed turret mounted non-lethal automatic weapon, and weighs around 280 pounds. This machine can totally do anything you want, including running right over your foot!

The following project is based mainly in the sketch realm, so bare with me all ye lovers of reality. For the rest of you, take that last swig of caffeine and strap on your air-pistols because this is one o’ them destroyer robots! Named “Search Bot” by its father Alp Germaner. Designer Alp Germaner I should say, but refuse to! Because this is a child of the mind. A robot from the electronic zaps and responses of the brain of Germaner, father to a race of machines that will one day crush us all.

The Kitchen Hideaway is a peep into what food prep might be like in the future. A helmet and viewport allow you to image what it is you want to eat in your own virtual kitchen. Gone are the large appliances replaced by efficient robots that serve every gluttonous desire. You have to actually know how to cook the dish. The robots are only mimicking your technique. The technology is so life-like, it’s indistinguishable from the real thing. This is the Jetsons people. Even George would be jealous.

Science Fiction has been less-than-kind when it comes to giving robots an environmentally friendly outlook. Robots are supposed to destroy the world, not save it, right? Nay. Nay I say. And so also says Anna-Karin Bergkvist, designer of this tree planting robot. Reforestation on the horizon, that’s what this robot says. Four legs, extendable planting arm, and planting head. That’s what we’ve got here. One green robot walker.

When you think of robotic police enforcement, I would hope that your mind would travel first to the most awesome of all part-robot police enforcers, that being of course Robocop. I’m not sure if Jamie Martin had RC in mind when he designed “C.R.A.B.”, but certainly this amazing machine would be right at home in a modern sequel to those fabulous action movies. The letters C.R.A.B. stand for Cybernetic Remote Autonomous Barricade, which means that if you see this death-defying looking metal six-leg at the door to anywhere, you ain’t getting in.

Envisage a future where printers are microscopic and an army of robots print anything you want. It’s called RO. At least 100 nanobots are stored in four base stations which also serve as ink cartridges for each of the four printing colors (CMYK). The base stations adhere to every surface. By relocating the stations, the printing area can be set and scaled to size. When the printing system ist activated the print job is projected onto the designated area by a laser beamer. During the printing process the nanobots merge together and form printing grids.

I don’t know if you know it, but today I got in a car accident. I’m not kidding. For real. In real life, I got in a car accident today. I ran a stop sign like an idiot, not paying attention, like a fool who needed to be separated from his car. Lucky for everyone, noone was hurt. My car may be totalled, but everyone is totally alright. That’s all you’ve got to know about that besides this: you know what would have been helpful? A robot helper. You know what designer Derek Chik Kin Ng has? A car that’s robot compliant, and yes, a robot who fits right there in the seat.

As promised, here are the details on the Electrolux Bio Robot Refrigerator, a concept that has been making quite a splash in the blogosphere! In lay terms, the fridge is a concept where the Bio Robot cools biopolymer gel through luminescence. A non-sticky gel surrounds the food item when shoved into the biopolymer gel, creating separate pods. The design features no doors or drawers, and the food items are individually cooled at their optimal temperature thanks to the robot.